garlic – Indian Culinary Center, NYC

Simple Biryani with Turkey Meatballs and Peas

February 2, 2017June 8, 20171 Comment

Biryani is a rice casserole. It is traditionally made with Basmati rice. This can be a very complex dish and take many many hours.

However, this is a simple and quick version. It is still very delicious and satisfying.

Start with the meatballs for the biryani

Pick a protein – I used minced turkey but you can use what you like – beef, lamb, chicken – I would say even fish would be great.
Season generously with salt, pepper, chopped cilantro, ginger and garlic. I also used fresh dill since I love the fresh flavor of dill.
Form the balls and cook them on the stove top in a skillet with a little oil.
They can also be baked. I have added them raw too.

I know I frustrate some people with my recipes – but I like to have options. Technique is far more important than exact instructions and so I am not a baker.

Set the meatballs aside – they should not be cooked through – just browned. They will finish cooking in the rice.

Heat a casserole and add a tbs oil.
Add cumin seeds, a couple bay leaves, cardamom pods and dry red chillies if you have them.

Next add a sliced onion and saute for about 5-7 minutes. Season with salt.

After the onions have browned, add frozen peas if you like.No need to defrost – they will cook sufficiently in the upcoming process.

Next 2 cups of rice. You can increase or decrease the amount of rice. A rule of thumb when cooking rice is 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of liquid. Be aware if your base has its own liquid, like if you were using tomatoes – to reduce the amount of liquid.

Stir the rice, onions and peas well for a couple of minutes. I like to brown the rice a little at this stage.

Next add the water and stir.
Stick your finger in the water to check for seasoning.

Bring to a boil and cover with the flame on a low simmer.

Rice normally takes 20 minutes – at the 10 minute point is when I add the meatballs. I push them down into the rice – so they cook evenly.
Cover again and cook for another 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand covered for up to 20 minutes.

When you open the lid, the rice will be on the top and all the yumminess underneath. Use a spatula to gently mix everything.
I happened to have boiled eggs laying around and so I used them for garnish.

I served it with yogurt on the side and Indian pickles if you have them.

I hope you try this simple and healthful dish.

Until I cook again!

Quinoa with Potatoes and Fresh Spinach

December 19, 2016Leave a comment

The addition of quinoa is a relatively new thing in my diet. Now that I have discovered it, I use it often and quite enjoy it. It is akin to rice or pasta for me and it’s healthful benefits are just an added bonus.

This was a quick lunch dish I made a few days ago.

Saute an onion in some olive oil with thyme – you can use rosemary or any other herb. Herbs add a depth of flavor that I enjoy. Season with salt and pepper – I also added a healthy amount of cayenne for a kick – it is optional of course.

When the onions are translucent, I added a diced potato. You can add almost any vegetable of your choice. And obviously most meat options too like chicken or turkey.

Next add 2 cups of quinoa and cook with the vegetables for a couple minutes till it is very incorporated and a little browned.

Next add 4 cups of water or stock, bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cover for about twenty minutes.

When the water has evaporated, add the fresh spinach.

I like to add fresh garlic at this stage because I like the flavor of garlic to be pronounced. If you need it to be more mellow – you can add the garlic earlier.

And yes, I use a garlic press – deal 🙂

Stir well and let the spinach wilt a little.
Next, let the father serve himself and I like to squeeze some fresh lemon over the top which enhances the flavors.

I hope you try this and let me know what you think.

Until I cook again!

Hearty chicken stew with potatoes over Couscous

April 29, 20161 Comment

I love making one pot meals as you may have noticed from my previous posts and also hearty stews are so comforting. They are easy to make and soul satisfying to me.

This is a chicken stew I made in a rich tomato sauce with potatoes

Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper and sear on high heat till the chicken is golden brown. I throw in some fresh thyme while this is happening – you can use rosemary, oregano or almost any herb of your choice.

Because I am lazy or very smart – you decide – I make some room at the side of the pan and add a couple of table spoons of flour. I brown this for a few minutes until the flour is brown and cooked through. You might have to add a little oil to make sure this happens well.

Next, I add a cup or two of wine – red in this case since that’s what I was drinking. You can add white wine and or stock – even water works, I tell ya.

I also like to add tomato paste along with the flour for a deep rich color but I didn’t have any handy. The stew still came out well.

And if you get anything from my recipes – just know that they are suggestions and not the gospel – once you master some techniques, you can experiment. Don’t sweat or worse, not cook just because you don’t have one ingredient.

Sticking with the lazy or genius theme. I throw in a chopped onion or two and they will cook down just like you sauteed them in the beginning. At this time I like to add some more thyme and more salt and pepper.

Now for 6-8-10 cloves of garlic, crushed and a can of whole, peeled tomatoes, smushed up. Yes, that’s a word 🙂

After the garlic and tomatoes, I covered and simmered the chicken for about 30 minutes and then add the potatoes – cooking for another 20 minutes or until the potatoes and chicken is cooked through.

Next, taste the sauce for salt and adjust to taste.

Sometimes, I will add a few tbs. of wine which I don’t cook out – this gives the stew a unique flavor. Also a couple tbs. of vinegar can be nice in rounding out the flavors.

Serve this in one of many ways – as is with crusty bread, or over rice, pasta, couscous.

I like to make enough t so that I can eat it for a few days in different ways.

I hope you try this and other stews – they basically cook themselves and you get to look like the star in your kitchen.

Until I cook again!

Grass Fed Lamb with Yogurt and Turkish Mint ( a fusion of cultures)

March 15, 2016March 15, 20162 Comments

My mom found a fancy store in the East Village that sells grass fed meat and so of course she had to buy some.

I decided to do a fusion of my favorite flavors and I have to say the result was quite superb.

First, I marinated the chops in mustard, green chilies and loads of garlic.

I put it in the refrigerator overnight.

Next day when I was ready to cook, I took out the marinated lamb an hour before to bring it to room temperature.

I seared it on high heat – and then added about a cup of red wine – just because I was drinking some 🙂

You can use stock or even water – any liquid to remove the brown bits in the pan.

Add a chopped onion and some more liquid.

Bring to boil and simmer over low heat about 45 minutes to an hour until the meat is almost tender.

Add the vegetables you like – root vegetables like turnips and rutabaga are great. I just had carrots and potatoes and so that’s what I used.

I simmered this for another 20 minutes.

I tasted the sauce and something was missing.

I added 3/4 of plain yogurt and a little vinegar.

That made the sauce tangy and delicious.

I served this over pearl couscous with a generous sprinkling of Turkish mint.

I try to buy the best meat that I can afford without hormones and grass fed is great too.

It tastes better and is of course better for us.

I hope you try this recipe and let me know what you think.

Until I cook again!

MASTERING THE ART OF THE STEW – BEEF AND POTATO STEW IN THIS CASE

August 3, 2015Leave a comment

While you may think a hearty stew is something you would eat in the fall and winter time.

You might be right but in my way of thinking, I like making dishes in the summer that take under 10 minutes to set up and then simmer to perfection as I can stay cool in an air conditioned room.

Last night was beef stew night or if you want to be fancy and impress your sweet as I was trying to – call is Beef Bourguignon. He was impressed – trust me.

Lets talk of the basics of a stew. A roomy pan, make sure the meat is dry and well seasoning and when you are browning it – do not crowd the pan, else the meat boils instead of sears. Add flour to thicken to sauce and I like to use tomato paste to add color, body and flavor to the stew. Red wine for red meats and white wine for the like of chicken and fish.

Use any vegetables like potatoes, turnips, onions, almost any root vegetables. Always add the vegetables when the meat is almost cook – simmer and in an hour or two you have dinner.

Here we have a hot pan, some oil, seasoned meat and searing. Make sure you don’t crowd the pan – do it in batches if need be. Once the meat is seared, sprinkle some flour. Stir well and cook. Make sure the flour is cooked through – there is nothing worse that the taste of raw flour. The flour will soak up the oil – don’t worry about it – just keep stirring and this is why you use a heavy pan – Le crueset if you have it.

Here we have the sprinkling of the flour, the oil being sucked up by the flour but then like in life, wine makes it all better. I add a nice amount of wine and some water or stock if you have it.

Throw in a bay leaf, I add some chopped garlic here – taste for salt and pepper and adjust it. Add some rosemary or thyme if you have it and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, lower the flame to a simmer and cover.

Now pour some of the wine in your glass and leave the kitchen.

Every so often, I come to the kitchen, give the pot a stir so people think I’m working so hard and also to refill my glass of wine.

In about an hour, add the potatoes or any other vegetable you may be using and simmer for another half hour or until the meat and vegetables are tender.

Right before you are ready to eat, add some more raw chopped garlic and a splash of wine. This gives a freshness to the stew.

You can serve this stew with a crusty baguette, over noodles or pearl couscous as I did last night.

I hope this clears up the mystery of a good stew and make em in the summer – gives you plenty of time to do others things and not stand in front of the stove.

Add herbs like parsley or mint and enjoy.

Until I cook again!

Simple Chicken Curry

May 22, 2015November 22, 2016Leave a comment

Curries are a staple in our house hold – chicken, lamb and goat mostly.

This is a very simple recipe and I hope that you try it.

2 tbs. vegetable oil

3 onions, sliced

12 skinless drumsticks (you can use thigh or a combination – just make sure it is skinless)

4 ripe tomatoes, diced (or 2 cups of whole peeled tomatoes, crushed)

1 tsp. cumin seeds

2 tbs. coriander powder

1 tbs. cumin powder

1 tsp. cayenne pepper or a chili of your choice as long as it is not smoked

4 whole cardamon pods

3 tbs. minced garlic

2 tbs. minced ginger

Salt to taste

Cilantro for garnish

Heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. Wait for a few seconds till they start to sizzle.

Add the onions, cardamon pods and salt – cook on medium low heat for about 15 minutes until nicely caramelized (like you would for onion soup).

Add the ginger and garlic, along with the coriander and cumin powder. Stir will and make sure the spices are well incorporated and give them a couple of minutes to cook. The spices will absorb the oil – just keep stirring and cooking on a low flame and they will once again release the oil – this is a sign that you are ready for the next step.

If need be add another tbs. of oil.

Now add the chicken and brown for about 10 minutes. The onions and spices should be well mixed in with the chicken.

When the chicken gets some color, add the tomatoes and about 1/2 cup of water.

Mix well, bring to a boil and then simmer covered for about 15 minutes or until the chicken is cook.

Taste for seasoning and adjust if need be.

Garnish with cilantro and serve over basmati rice, roti or pita

Enjoy and please tell me how it came out when you try it.

Until I cook again!

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